I love to check myself out.Ha! That sounds so wrong.
What I mean to say is, I love to check out my own groceries. Then, it is my own fault if I take forever to get out of the grocery store.
Twice this week, I have been held hostage by check writers. Lovely people in any other circumstance, checkbook-toting Southeast Texans are LOATHSOME.
The first instance happened last Thursday. I was sick and just wanted to pop into the Walgreen's for a can of chicken soup and a package of cough drops.
With a foggy head, I contemplated between the cherry Halls or citrus flavored drops -finally siding with the Halls. Mustering every ounce of strength I had, I shuffled up to the register to get behind (Oh,yeah. You guessed it) a check writer.
This particular woman had a basket full of Easter candy - tiny little pieces of Easter candy that would need to be rung up individually.
After waiting for every single piece of candy to be scanned, said woman finally got her check book out. If I had brought a torch and angry mob with me, I would have chased this woman out of the county.
IF YOU MUST PAY WITH A CHECK, WHY NOT FILL EVERYTHING OUT EXCEPT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IN ADVANCE?!?
I considered coughing on her for a moment. But, I decided that was cruel and unusual punishment for the situation. Instead, I mumbled to the cashier: "Who writes checks? It's 2009!"
I am an avid fan of the debit card. You swipe, enter your pin number and walk out the door. Easy-peasy!
So, if you don't want to join the rest of the modern world, that's fine. But at least have some courtesy. Get your checkbook and driver's license out early or prepare to get the stink eye from your fellow citizens.
Get with the program!
16 comments:
As one who writes checks often, i'm a little disheartened at your post. 90% of the time, I make out my check while the cashier is ringing up my purchases in order to make the transaction faster. Everyone is in a hurry, even the woman in front of you writing her check. Maybe that is the only form of payment she had, don't forget that some people prefer not to use debit cards or credit cards for that matter. I carry all three forms of payment, checks, debit and credit, but there are times when i want to write a check instead of paying in another manner.
And you will probably be one of the many in line to get 666 stamped into your flesh because everyone else is doing it and it is so much easier to conform. LOL
Debit cards make people lazy. so do computers, cell phones etc. they are so handy that kids are not learning how to spell, or learning how to puncuate correctly. people are not talking to one another but emailing and texting. The art of writing is going by the wayside also the art of communication. We depend on computers so much that when we don't have electricity, we are put in a pickle. How do you know that the reservation you made through a computer is gonna be right, or how to tell if a person is lying to you if you don't see them face to face. I have used our technology quiet often but I also so use the good old fashion way.
Guess what? The Easter candy lady speaks!
As it happened, the young cashier decided for some reason that because each of my boxes of 4 Peeps contained 3 rows, she needed to charge me for 12 items. When I caught there error she proceeded to take FOREVER to correct it, and yes, the line did pile up behind me.
And yes, I did pay by check, since my son had my debit card and it was the only form of payment I had on hand. It being legal tender and all, I figured I'd take a walk on the wild side.
The check was filled out completely the entire time we ALL waited, save for the total which I desperately hoped the cashier would be able to calculate at some point.
The point is... things are not always as they seem. And thank you for not coughing on me. ;)
I agree completely with the fact that checks are a perfectly reasonable form of payment, but I'm afraid I must side with Sister Trendy on this one. It's not about modernity and technology so much as it is convenience. To the defender of "old school" if you really mean that then why are you shopping at a place that accepts checks and not at the farmers market? The fact is checks waste paper and are more expensive for both the writer and the bank, and they leave the possibility open to being returned. Debit cards on the other hand are not only 'greener' and cheaper, but they keep us all honest!
Where I live, there are some bills that cannot be paid by check, such as the water bill. Neither my hair nor nail salon takes credit/debit either. I also intend to send out some graduation gifts this month by check, as I haven't found a kid yet who takes debit.
Though I prefer to pay by debit whenever possible, I will continue to carry checks as long as I can, when the need for a Plan B. arises. Debit cards get lost, stolen or damaged - but I always have more checks.
Perhaps a little more patience with your fellow man is called for here, or maybe the acceptance that you don't know all of the facts when it comes to that annoying plebe at the front of line paying with a check.
And I promise not to judge you too harshly when the machine has a hard time reading your card, and the cashier has to scan it over and over and over, then finally type the numbers in to complete your purchase.
After all, I have no idea what your circumstances are, right?
CHECK this out... I found this gem on the U.S. Census website.
For every courteous and prepared check writer standing in any given line across America, There are 9.381 apathetic check writers with arthritis slowing the world's development to a crawl.
The only check I want to see is one hanging on the wall in the ancient history wing of a museum.
>
To the Census Bureau comment, I have arthritis and don't find your observation the least bit funny. I hope you go through the same pain I do someday, jerkface. I like using a debit card too. But you go to a lot of places such as in low income areas and they will not accept them or credit cards without a certain minimum purchase. Some places won't take them at all, believe it or not.
My point is that the author wrote this rant without knowing all of the facts... or maybe the story became more interesting if the true facts of the situation were ignored.
My check WAS filled out in advance, and the slow line was caused by cashier error. I was on my lunch break and in just as much of a hurry as anyone else to get out of there.
The manager did come open up an additional checkout lane, and there were other registers available in the cosmetics and pharmacy departments.
Clearly it's more fun and makes better news to bash anonymous strangers than it is to give someone the benefit of doubt.
As for me, I'm going to assume the writer was having a bad day and is usually less judgmental than this journalistic effort shows.
I'll also continue to read this blog. Have a nice day, all!
I'm all about customer service as well as kindness to strangers.
I was shopping recently with a grouchy 1-year-old and had only a handful of trinkets to purchase at a hobby store. As the toddler squirmed and faunched in my arms, the woman in front of me allowed me to go ahead of her and her shopping cart to hurry my horrid shopping experience.
I thought that was uber nice of her, although there's a chance she was just as annoyed with the child as I was and wanted us out of her hearing range.
Anyway, my point is that if you see someone sick, with a crabby child or any other unhappy circumstance who is just buying a few items, let them hop in front of you. How hard is that?
And the idea that kids learn to punctuate and spell from checks is ridiculous.
Actually, I live in an area that the merchants don't want to pay the fee they are charged every time someone uses a debit/credit cards. They will ONLY accept checks or cash.....
Since you were in that much of a hurry (I'm assuming you must have had a reason that you must have had something very important to do that you must have been late for a very important date and the Easter Bunny ruined your whole day) and you needed to check out fast. Next time, when time is of the essence, I would suggest you come back later and shop when you have time in case this scenario will not happen again.
Otherwise, don't sweat the small stuff....if that is the worst thing that happened to you all day, then get over it....
Roxanne-
In answer to your question: "Anyway, my point is that if you see someone sick, with a crabby child or any other unhappy circumstance who is just buying a few items, let them hop in front of you. How hard is that?"
When I reached the cashier to pay for my purchases, NO ONE else was in line. Due to the cashiers error of charging me 12 times for 4 items, and then being unsure of how to correct it, the line backed up.
I can't count the times I've let people ahead of me in line, and I've also appreciated it when the same courtesy was extended to me. Using a check instead of a debit card doesn't automatically transform someone into an oaf.
An obviously ill person holding a single pack of cough drops would have certainly been a person I would have gladly allowed ahead of me, if I'd had the opportunity. In this case, I did not.
Perhaps some of you should take up your beef with Walgreen's, for having inexperienced cashiers manning the registers. I myself had sympathy for the girl, as she was clearly flustered by her errors. Having once been a teenager working a new job, I did my best to be patient with her as she worked it out.
I wouldn't change a thing I did that day, save for the fact that I sure wish my son had remembered to return my debit card to my wallet after using it the night before.
Argh, I made few couple of grammatical errors in the above post.....
Instead of saying this:
"(I'm assuming you must have had a reason that you must have had something very important to do that you must have been late for a very important date and the Easter Bunny ruined your whole day)"
I should have said: I am sure you had something very important to do and the wait made you late. I am so sorry the Easter Bunny ruined your day)
Thank you all for your comments. I am glad to see so many ideas and opinions exchanged here.
I just wanted to clear up a few misconceptions.
1. I do not hate checks, or check writers for that matter. I have to actually use them when a contractor comes to my home for repairs or when I donate to charity.
I think some of you didn't read past the headline of this posting. I am fine with check writers, as long as you are polite in check out lines and get your checkbook out before all of your groceries are rung up.
I can gurantee you I am not digging in my purse looking for my debit card as the last item is being bagged.
Why?
Because I don't like making other people wait.
2. As fun as the ccoincidence would have been, the Easter Bunny and I have never crossed paths. I visited a Walgreens well after the dinner hour last week and the woman in line in front of me already had a handful of people, including me, behind her when she reached the register. Also, no Peeps in her basket - just lots of tiny chocolate eggs.
3.Anon 10:10, I appreciate your suggestions as well. However, I tend to not like to take extra time to shop when I am sick. Most people will agree, you kind of like to just get in and out when under the weather.
But, I do like your point about not sweating the small stuff. I think that's a mantra we should all share.
Have a great weekend and if you have suggestions for posts, by all means let me know.
As fun as the ccoincidence would have been, the Easter Bunny and I have never crossed paths.Wow, that is quite the amazing coincidence.
And I certainly hope you had a lovely Easter, cold symptoms, check writers and all. ;)
"Who writes checks? It's 2009!"
Apparently you still write checks in 2009!
"I do not hate checks, or check writers for that matter. I have to actually use them when a contractor comes to my home for repairs or when I donate to charity."
And I agree with the Easter Bunny... too much coincidence.
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